The Equalizer (2014)

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The Equalizer tells the story of Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), a former government intelligence agents who retired from unity by means of faked his death and lived quietly in Boston. A man who wants to bury her past deeply and begin to live a new life, a quiet life. McCall then dedicated himself to helping the weak and oppressed communities.

Daily he worked at a supermarket supplies home (Home Mart). He lives and lives alone in an apartment that is simple and only hang out with co-workers as well as some of the people who live in the vicinity. From the beginning of the story, it appears that McCall is a very thorough and detail of something, and greatly appreciate the time. In the workplace and the environment, McCall also people who are friendly and happy to help others. After his wife left, he spent much of his time by reading a good book at home, on the way to and from the office as well as at a cafe (Bridge Dinner) which is open 24 hours. Living with all the other routines as normal life.

Until one day he met and became acquainted with the Teri / Alina (Chloë Grace Moretz) a young girl with the profession as a commercial sex worker in a hoarse voice that used to come to the same cafe. Teri who works for the Russian mafia is often receive unfair treatment by superiors, McCall finally felt compelled to do something. He decided to help Teri. McCall effort to help Teri turned out to bring it to a bigger problem. Alina boss turned out to be an accomplice of the highly influential Russian mafia. Big boss of the mafia who are not happy because his business interfere McCall, eventually sending a special person to hunt McCall. But it turns out this is not an easy thing because McCall was not an ordinary person.

Actually, in his other life he had been a lot of people who do bad things, things he was not proud of, things that really he wanted to forget. He also promised the people that he loves to never be that person again. But in this case he wants to use his past ability to help Teri until complete.

At this movie (The Equalizer) there are some conversations that really made an impression on me, especially in a conversation couple (Brian and Susan) friend McCall ; 

Brian "Were you able to help him?" 

Susan "He didn't come for help, He came for permission"

It was one of dialogue exceptional in my opinion. And another dialogue "Change your world as you wish" "Change your world. Anything you wanna be"

The Equalizer is an adaptation of a television series in the era of the 80s with the same title.

Genre                        :  Action, Crime,Thriller
Director                     :  Antoine Fuqua
Producer                   :  Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Denzel Washington, Alex Siskin,  Steve Tisch, 
                                    Mace  Neufeld, Tony Eldridge, Michael Sloan, Richard Wenk
Executive Producer    :  Ezra Swerdlow, David J. Bloomfield, Ben Waisbren

Writers                      :   Richard Wenk

Stars                         :   Denzel Washington (Robert McCall), Chloe Grace Moretz (Teri), Melissa Leo 

                                    (Susan Plummer), Bill Pullman (Brian Plummer), Haley Bennett (Mandy), Marton 

                                    Csokas (Teddy), Vladimir Kulich (Vladimir Pushkin)

Release date             :    26 September 2014

Distributor                :    Columbia Pictures

Budget                     :     $ 55,000,000

Rating IMDB           :     7.2 / 10

Runtime                   :     2h 12min.

8 out of 10

Michael Jackson's This Is It is a tough film to review. Culled from rehearsal footage for his planned 50 shows at the 02 Arena in London, This Is It isn't really a concert film nor is it a documentary offering an intimate look into the enigmatic entertainer. It's more like an intimate peep. Nonetheless, watching Jackson prepare for what was sure to be an amazing concert is quite magical.

To call the show he was preparing a concert is almost an insult. It was going to be a spectacle like no one has ever experienced. Jackson was taking every amazing element from his prior tours and planning on topping them. If nothing else, this look in to his creative process shows a man who was supremely talented and ready to conquer the world for a final time.

Since his death, the outpouring of love and support for the singer has been overwhelming. Gone is the cynicism surrounding his eccentric lifestyle and allegations of molestation. People have embraced him for all the good he has created through his music, dancing and showmanship. They are celebrating a truly one of a kind entertainer who has touched the hearts and minds of countless individuals throughout his career. No matter how you stand on whether Michael Jackson was a misunderstood angel or whether he was a monster, it's hard not to be in awe while watching him perform; even at half speed.

This Is It is essentially a documentary detailing the work that Jackson was putting into his final tour. You don't walk away with any real sense of knowing who he truly is. The man behind the performer remains a mystery. The brief bits you do see in between performances of every hit song imaginable, portray a soft spoken, humble man who is also extremely confident in himself as an entertainer. He wants everything the way he wants it, but he gets people to do what he wants through kindness and support. There is not a trace of oversized ego in any of his words and for a man who has been proclaimed as the King of Pop, that is quite inspiring. It is clear that when Jackson performs, his major goal is to spread love, peace and happiness to the entire audience.

Kenny Ortega, the creative director of Jackson's shows and also the creator of the High School Musical series, was hired to pull together all the rehearsal footage and make the movie and he has done a very proficient job. The film is structured like a concert in the sense that each song is performed in its entirety by splicing together various rehearsals. I can't say enough how incredible it is to watch Jackson perform. Even while half heartedly going through the motions he is a powerful force of nature.

Ortega starts the film with brief interviews taken from dancers who were auditioning for the show. They all express their excitement of having the opportunity to audition and possibly work with Michael. Some of them tear up as they are expressing what Jackson means to them and how he helped transform their lives and it a powerful few minutes to say the very least. I dare you not to get goose bumps. The audition process is shown and it is almost like watching a season of So You Think You Can Dance in ten minutes.

My only real complaint about the film is that it is too long. It could've been a half hour shorter and been just as powerful and inspiring. Maybe for diehard fans of Jackson, the film doesn't over stay its welcome, but for a casual fan or someone who is just curious to see the film, it can become slightly boring.

To sum it up, This Is It is an intimate look at what Jackson had planned for his shows and based on what I saw, they were going to be epic; the kind of concert that you remember for the rest of your life. Michael's magic is on full display here and is hard to resist. Whether you are his biggest fan or his biggest detractor, it is impossible to watch this movie and not walk away with a sense of how great he truly was.

Bill Bonfanti is FilmGo.net's movie critic and Box office analysis. [http://www.filmgo.net] Every week you will find new reviews and box office predictions for the current crop of films in the theater.

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Movie Reviews - The Day After Tomorrow

Movie reviews this week looks at the ecological suspense thriller The Day After Tomorrow with Dennis Quaid (Inner Space) as a climatologist Jack Hall, who for years has been warning the U.S. government and the world in general that its' reliance on fossil fuels is causing a great deal of harm to the planet (a couple of years before Al Gore's Oscar winning An inconvenient truth).

His estimations of a global disaster from global warming which would usher in another ice age, which he predicts as a best guess estimate certainly not in his lifetime; that polar melting would disrupt the North Atlantic current, suddenly escalates to the present, with an ice age hitting the vast majority of America, and Jack in a desperate rush against time to save his son, Sam Hall played by Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko), who is trapped in New York, which unfortunately is at the epicentre of this ice age.

This is one of the first movies to highlight the environment impact of our reliance on fossil fuels, with several scenes to ponder the potential disaster on our hands, one of these is a helicopter going over Scotland that suddenly just freezes at minus 150 degrees Fahrenheit and there is a great scene, where Jack has been telling the scientific community would happen albeit with some scoffing, that the sun would accelerate the rapid decline in temperature to beyond freezing point, immediately freezing structures, and anything that happens to pass within the rays of the sun at that particular time, unfortunately he gets to witness this phenomenon first hand in a desperate race against time to find shelter while everything around him freezes as the sun comes up.

There is also an unforgettable scene as the Tower of Liberty freezes solid.

Not only does he have to breach the bitter cold, he also has to fend off dogs that have gone insane from hunger, looking for anything warm blooded to eat, ergo any humans they can find.

We find out that Jack feels he has let down his son a little, and this journey to find him is something he has to do to make up for their relationship, there is a brilliant conversation at the beginning, where Jack finds out Sam has failed Calculus, and Sam replies he got every question right, and the only reason the lecturer failed him was because he didn't write out the solutions but did it instead in his head, Jack asks him if he told the lecturer, he told him he did, but the lecturer said if he couldn't do it in his head neither could Sam.

Mr D Stevens is a reviewer at Movie reviews

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Movie Reviews - The Blind Side

Movie Reviews this week looks at the Oscar winning biographical drama The Blind Side.

It is an absolutely charming story, of Leigh Anne Tuohy played by the lovely Sandra Bullock (Speed), and the story of her adopted son, and you can see immediately why she won the best actress Oscar.

She plays a conservative mother in a very nice and well-off neighbourhood, who sees Michael Oher played very convincingly by Quinton Aaron, one rainy night walking aimlessly, she asks her husband Sean played by Tim McGraw (Four Christmases), to stop the car, she asks him where he is heading seeing he is just in a t-shirt in the pouring rain, he says he is going to the gym, she asks him again why he is going to the gym, and tells him the gym closed a while back, and for him not to lie to her, he says he is simply going there because it is warm.

Prior to this, we are told the story of how Mike got into the school in the first place. The coach at this Christian school, Burt Cotton played charmingly as always by Ray McKinnon (Randy and the Mob) had been approached by a fellow to allow his son into the school, as well as Mike, the coach sees Mike and the man's son playing basketball and sees the potential of Mike making them famous on a sporting arena, so convinces the board that it is their Christian duty to let him in. However in class Mike seems distant minded, and all the teachers are worried as he seems the slowest in the class, except for one particular teacher Mrs. Bower played the lovely Kim Dickens (Hollow Man) who notices Mike remembers the majority of what the teachers are saying, as he is able to describe in his own words the grasp of what it is they are saying, but may not necessarily write it down as eloquently as they wanted. As all the teachers are discussing Mike's ability one day, wondering if he can write, Mrs. Bower shows them a note that Mike had written that had been thrown in the trash, speaking of his sadness and what the teachers expect of him, to do all the work alone.

Leigh asks where he lives, his parents, or grandparents, Mike shakes his head nonchalantly, and Leigh amazingly takes him to her home, with a mild confrontation with her husband as to how long Mike is going to stay, he asks "This is just for the one night"? Where Leigh nods absentmindedly, but the expression on her face is already thinking of much longer term.

Mike gets along with Leigh's two children, her son S.J. played very impressively by Jae Head, and her daughter Collins played by the adorable Lily Collins, Leigh asks her how she would feel if Mike moved in with them permanently, she nonchalantly agrees, and when Mike is asked how he would feel moving having Leigh and Sean as his legal guardians, he smiles and thought he was already part of the family.

The Blind Side turns out is a very beautiful movie, of acceptance and love that a young man needs, and the struggle one woman faces with social services, her social circles, and the community in trying to make one boy's life better, and what makes this movie even more amazing is this is a true story.

Movie Reviews is constantly updated with good reviews of great movies that are a must see.

Movie reviews is constantly updated with reviews of great movies and recommended releases

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Movie Review - Runaway Train (1986)

Runaway Train
 
Starring Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, and Rebecca DeMornay
Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
Written by Djordje Milecevic, Paul Zindel, Edward Bunker, based on a screenplay by Akira Kurosawa

Runaway Train is a film out of control. At its best, it is a cold and brutal depiction of life in a maximum security prison; at its worst, it is a bungled parable on the futility of escape.

Escape for hardened criminals Manny (Jon Voight) and Buck (Eric Roberts) means an elusive shot at freedom, but Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky (Siberiade, Maria's Lovers) tries to instill their quest with deeper significance. He seems bent on driving home his parallel vision of a society out of control, and neither the script nor the actors fare well under the weight of his noble intentions.

At the film's epicenter is the massive, haunting figure of a runaway train thundering through the Alaskan mountain wilderness. Manny and Buck, through a rather incredible chain of events, find themselves aboard the screaming metal monster after just escaping their prison cells. At first they believe they've secured their freedom, but slowly begin to realize that there is no engineer at the controls, that they have exchanged one set of bonds for another, and that they are helplessly alone.

Helpless, yes; alone, no. There is, it turns out, a third passenger aboard: Sara (Rebecca DeMornay), a railroad worker who was aboard the train when it first rolled free of the rail yard. She is the rational counterbalance to the insanity of Manny and Buck.

Though filmed in color, Runaway Train looks for all intents and purposes like a black and white feature. The train is a speeding black bullet against the pristine white of the Alaskan snow. Dark trees and naked rocks rush endlessly past us, and everything else seems a pale shade of gray. The only notable exception comes in an excruciatingly painful scene where Manny's hand is crushed between train coupling. The wash of blood, filmed with a rather detached nonchalance, draws a sharp contrast to the untouched snow of the surrounding landscape and jolts the viewer out of the dull depression brought on by the rest of the picture.

The script - by Djordje Milecevic, Paul Zindel, Edward Bunker, and god only knows who else - was based on an earlier screenplay by the great Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai and Ran). Unfortunately, something has been lost in the translation. Or maybe a lot of somethings. Whenever this many writers get their hands on a screenplay, trouble can't be far behind. Kurosawa's vision has been swallowed by the committee and spit back out in and unrecognizable form, resulting in an overbearing pretentiousness and laughable dialog.

The acting doesn't help matters any. Jon Voight, an Academy award-winner best known for his powerful roles in Midnight Cowboy and Coming Home, struggles with his dialog throughout and is forced to utter such schlock lines as, "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger." He overacts the part, but his forced histrionics are subtle understatements compared to the theatrics of Eric Roberts, who drew popular and critical raves for his psychopathic role in Star 80, can't seem to control himself here. He dances across the screen in a fidgety mass of nervous mannerisms embarrassingly reminiscent of his turn in The Pope of Greenwich Village. Roberts wouldn't know subtext if it bit him. The manic energy that worked so well in Star 80 is hard to take seriously here.

Forget Voight's Best Actor nomination for this film; forget Roberts' Best Supporting nomination as well. The former is a fluke based largely on the respect garnered by past performances; the latter is beyond comprehension.

Rebecca DeMornay, nearly unrecognizable from her previous roles in Risky Business and The Slugger's Wife, is more than competent as the scruffy bystander caught up in circumstances beyond her control. Keneth McMillan (Ragtime, Dune) is also very good in a small role, as the railroad boss desperately trying to avert disaster.

If director Konchalovsky doesn't quite manage to bring al these elements together into a coherent whole - and he doesn't - he does know how to tighten the thumbscrews, sustaining and building suspense throughout. Herein lies the film's strength. Each frame of Runaway Train packs more tension than most thrillers can boast of in their entirety.

Too bad he couldn't get the rest of this Train on track.

Reviewed by David Wisehart

David Wisehart is the editor of The Wisehart Review - movies, books, and more! Visit [http://www.wisehartreview.com/]

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The Warriors of Benghazi

Three years after the terror attacks that shook the foundation of faith in our world, came the Benghazi attacks; they managed to shake our trust in the US security once again. On 11th September 2012, a group of militia attacked the US diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. They killed the US ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and two CIA operatives and injured more than ten personnel.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is the film based on the book, 13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi by American author Mitchell Zuckoff. The book was released in 2014, two years after the attacks that inspired it. Two years later, Michael Bay has directed and produced the film that gives us a fictionalized account of the events. Michael is known for his big-budget action films, like Armageddon in 1998, Pearl Harbor in 2001 and the Transformers film series (2007-present). His film style includes use of great special effects and frequent depiction of explosions. His latest film is of course no different.

13 Hours is a war film that delivers what it promises. It manages to show us the gruesome happenings on that day in Benghazi, Libya. It also shows us that even a little lax in security can lead to a catastrophic event. In the film, the team that bravely defends the compound is a six member team. John Krasinski was the first to be signed on to the cast as one of the six members and the filming started in Malta on 15th April 2015. The film also stars James Badge Dale, Max Martini, Freddie Stroma, Toby Stephens, David Denman, Pablo Schreiber, Dominic Fumusa and Alexia Barlier in key roles. The film released in January 2016 worldwide and has been received well at the Box Office.

In the US alone, it earned $16.2 million in its opening weekend and finished at the 4th spot at the Box Office. Although the response was good, the film has been criticized for not being able to stick to the factual timeline of the events. The accuracy has come under criticism and even though the trailer claims "this is a true story", there are certain parts of the film that have been refuted by the official sources, especially the claim of the stand down order and no air support being provided. The critics community has responded with mixed emotions, but almost every movie review has some good things to say about it. There's a range of perspectives available on the film and although most movie reviews call it engrossing and gripping, there are reviews that have called Michael Bay's vision - myopic. The movie documents the terrorist attack and showcases the bravery of the soldiers against terrorism.

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Movie Review - The Taking of Pelham 123 - 8.5 Out of 10

The Taking of Pelham 123 is a slick, reimagining of the 1974 original that is filled to the brim with suspense, action and the one thing that is missing from many big budget spectacles, good old fashioned character development. Director Tony Scott has crafted a tension filled thriller with both John Travolta and Denzel Washington sharing a chemistry that propels the film to its rocketing conclusion.

Scott wastes no time on set up; Travolta hijacks the train before the beginning credits are done rolling and the film continues at a breathless pace until the satisfying conclusion. The plot goes basically like this; Travolta's Ryder (his alias) hijacks the Pelham 123 at 2:13 PM and demands a ransom of $10 million dollars be delivered to him within an hour or else he will start killing off hostages. Ryder refuses to speak with the police and Washington as train dispatcher Walter Garber is forced to serve as negotiator. Scott keeps the film at high suspense and brings a kinetic feel to the action sequences and chase scenes that will keep your eyes glued to the screen. Writer Brian Helgeland best known for L.A. Confidential, has written an intelligent script with great dialogue, that is fast paced and exciting all the while developing the characters way beyond what could've been the stereotypical psycho versus the reluctant hero.

Denzel Washington is terrific as everyman Walter Garber bringing gravity and a quiet dignity to his performance, keeping Walter grounded in reality, never once allowing the character to slip into clichéd action hero mode. Garber is the heart and soul of the film and you will find yourself pulling for him from the very first time Washington opens his mouth to the very last scene of the film. Washington is an amazing actor at the top of his craft and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

What can you say about John Travolta? The man plays terrific psychos and his performance in Pelham 123 is no exception to the rule. With his handle bar mustache, neck tattoo and menacing glare, he is one badass you don't want to mess with. He puts a delightful psycho spin on every line of dialogue and is gleeful in his madness. I've always liked Travolta as a villain, but in films like Face/Off and Broken Arrow, he goes over the top with his performances. That is not the case here. Travolta masterfully takes the character right to the brink, but never crosses the line. Travolta gives a truly chilling and riveting performance that you won't want to end.

The supporting cast all give superb performances as well, especially John Turturro and James Gandolfini. Turturro plays a hostage negotiator for the NYPD and although he is forced to take second chair to Washington's Garber, Turturro never once allows the character to become a clichéd pain in the ass, egomaniac. Instead he infuses the character with a humanity that makes him endearing and real and helps keep the film grounded. James Gandolfini plays the fictional mayor of New York as a combination of Mike Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani and pulls it off fabulously. Gandolfini gives the mayor a quiet strength while also giving him a no nonsense attitude that is quite fitting for the Big Apple.

To sum it up, The Taking of Pelham 123 is an electrifying thrill ride that is made even better by the shared chemistry and the power-house acting of Washington and Travolta. Pelham 123 is one ride that shouldn't be missed.

Bill Bonfanti is FilmGo.net's movie critic and Box office analysis. [http://www.filmgo.net] Every week you will find new reviews and box office predictions for the current crop of films in the theater.

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Ghost - A Love Story Movie Review

"Ghost" is one of the most popular romantic movies of all time and it frequently appears near the top of the list for popular romantic movies and favorite movies for women. The emotional pull of the movie is provided by the yearning of the two lovers to be together despite the death of one of the partners.

Ghost was directed by Jerry Tucker and the leading characters are played by Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, with a strong supporting role for Whoopie Goldberg, who won an Academy Award for her performance in this role. To date, it has earned more than $500 million worldwide and a stage production is scheduled to open in the West End in 2010.

Although there is a dramatic storyline which includes the murder of the husband, Sam (played by Patrick Swayze) and an attempt by the villain to harm the wife, Molly (Demi Moore) as well Sam's friend, Oda Mae (Whoopie Goldberg), the real heart of the movie lies with the loving intimacy of Sam and Molly, both before and after his death.

There are a number of moving and tender moments as Sam's spirit attempts to make physical contact with Molly. One unforgettable scene has Molly seated at a potters wheel, shaping clay and she senses his lingering, loving embrace. The song "Unchained Melody" beautifully captures the feelings of the pair at this moment.

The "real world" plot involves Sam's friend, Carl, a co-worker at the bank where Sam was employed and who was responsible for Sam's death. Carl has fraudulently transferred funds to another account, giving him access, and Sam has changed the password on the computer which enables this. Carl wants the new password and stages a robbery to obtain it but, in a scuffle which ensues, Sam is killed.

His spirit remains earthbound and Sam refuses to accompany his escorts to heaven. Instead, he finds a woman who has the psychic ability to hear his voice (Oda Mae) and through her tries to make contact with Molly. Despite her reluctance to be involved, at one point Oda Mae even allows Sam to "possess" her body so he can experience an embrace with Molly.

The plot involving the funds which Carl desperately tries to retrieve provides a necessary, if not entirely gripping framework, around which much of the emotional elements revolve.

Finally, all that remains is the tender love of Sam and Maggie after the villain has been vanquished. What do they - can they - do now? This is a special moment for them and the outcome has the audience in tears.

Read more of the story of Sam and Maggie and what happens to them here: Ghost - A Love Story and also on this page: Ghost - Romantic Movie Review

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Shrek - A Monster of a Comedy

In this animated film, all the fairytale creatures are gathered and dumped onto an ogre's land named Shrek. This makes the ogre very angry since he has lived alone for many years. A talking donkey informs Shrek that a man named Lord Farquaad wanted to make the most perfect town and in order to do that he got rid of anything that wasn't human. This included the three little pigs, the gingerbread man, the three bears, Hansel and Gretel, and many fairies.

The donkey leads Shrek to Lord Farquaad. At first the orders were given to kill the ogre for coming to the perfect place, but after Shrek defeats every guard Lord Farquaad decided to hear Shrek out. A deal is made. In order for Shrek to get his land back he must bring Princess Fiona back with him. She is kept is a tower that is guarded by a fire breathing dragon, which is surrounded by a lava pit.

Getting to the castle isn't very hard. It is getting the princess out without being seen that is very tricky especially since donkey can't seem to stop talking. The dragon is found and it flings Shrek in the tower with the princess. Donkey then does some fancy talking and is spared. Shrek picks up the princess and runs down the stares to save donkey. As soon as donkey escapes the dragon goes crazy. They put a chain around its neck and tie it to a pillar. The dragon's fire reaches the bridge that Donkey and Shrek are crossing. The bridge drops toward the lava pit but they crawl to safety. They travel a while and camp for the night. The princess has a secret and has to hide at night. A cave does nicely. The next day, they continue to the town, but they decide to take an extra day to spend more time with the group. They even find out that the princess knows karate. What is the princess's secret? Will she marry lord Farquaad? Watch and find out.

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My Top 10 Favorite Football Movies

For all you football fans who want to know what some of the best movies about football are, then look no further. I have compiled ten of my personal favorites that I would like to share with you and hopefully you will agree that these movies deserve to be added to your collection. So whether you are a diehard football fan or you just like a good movie with a football theme, these movies are sure to make any night fun and entertaining.

Here are ten of my favorite football movies from #10 to #1:

10.) All The Right Moves (1983)- Tom Cruise stars as Stefan "Stef" Djordjevic, a high school defensive back who is seeking a college scholarship to escape his small Pennsylvania town of Ampipe. After Stefan's fumble in the last seconds of the big game against Walnut Heights High School causes them to lose, he is verbally reprimanded by his coach for "quitting." When Stefan blasts back that the coach was the one who quit, he is thrown off the team and blacklisted from colleges for his attitude and the eventual vandalism of his home. In the end, Coach Nickerson accepts a coaching job at Cal Poly and offers Stefan a full scholarship after he realizes he was wrong for blacklisting him. Craig T. Nelson also stars as Coach Nickerson.

9.) Gridiron Gang (2006)- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson stars as Sean Porter, an employee of Kilpatrick Detention Center in Los Angeles. Porter decides to start a football team for the kids in hopes that it will make them responsible, teammates, and winners. The team starts out slow but they eventually beat the best team in the league and go on to the championship game. Although it is revealed by narration that they lose the championship game, they are no longer considered losers.

8.) Invincible (2006)- Mark Wahlberg stars as Vince Papale, a 30 year old bartender who was recently fired from his teaching job and abruptly left by his wife for his failures. When the newly hired Eagles head coach, Dick Vermiel, decides to hold open tryouts, Vince makes the team. After a dismal first game, Vince recovers a fumble in his second game and scores a touchdown which helps give Dick Vermiel his first Eagles victory. Greg Kinnear also stars as coach Dick Vermiel.

7.) Any Given Sunday (1999)- Oliver Stone directed this movie about a fictitious football team called the Miami Sharks. When the Sharks first and second string quarterbacks are both injured during a game, third string QB Willie Beamon is given the role. Although he starts out pretty slow, he eventually begins to gain a fan following which leads to narcissism and arrogance that angers his teammates. Jamie Foxx plays Willie Beamon and some of the all-star cast include: Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz, and James Woods.

6.) Radio (2003)- This movie is not necessarily a football movie but tells the story of James Robert "Radio" Kennedy who is befriended by T.L. Hanna High School football coach, Harold Jones. At first he is bullied by some of the cruel football players but is eventually accepted by the students of Hanna and the townspeople. Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as "Radio" and Ed Harris stars as Coach Jones.

5.) The Longest Yard (2005)- This movie is a remake of the 1974 classic of the same name. Adam Sandler stars as Paul Crewe, a once professional football player who was disgraced for point shaving. After landing himself in jail, he is recruited by the warden to organize a football team of convicts to help the guards prepare for their season. This movie is a laugh a minute as they prepare themselves for the game against the guards, which they win. The supporting cast includes Burt Reynolds(who played Crewe in the original), Chris Rock, and James Cromwell as the warden.

4.) Friday Night Lights (2004)- This movie follows the story of the 1988 Permian High School Panthers football team as they made a run towards the state championship. After ending their season in a three-way tie, a coin toss must take place in order to decide who makes the play-offs. They win the toss and are narrowly defeated in the finals by a powerful Dallas high school team. Billy Bob Thornton plays Coach Gary Gaines and some of the supporting cast include: Lucas Black, Derek Luke, and Tim McGraw.

3.) The Waterboy (1998)- This is Adam Sandler's first football movie. He plays Bobby Boucher, a stuttering waterboy who has anger issues because of constant teasing and being excessively sheltered by his mother. After he is fired from being the waterboy for the University of Louisiana for disrupting practice, he volunteers to work for free for the South Central Louisiana State University Muddogs. When he is teased by the quarterback of the Muddogs, he is encouraged by the coach to stand up for himself which leads him to tackle the quarterback very aggressively. This leads him to be recruited by the coach and they go on to win the Bourbon Bowl against the team who fired him as the waterboy in the first place. Henry Winkler plays Coach Klein and Kathy Bates plays Bobby Boucher's mother.

2.) The Blindside (2009)- This movie is the real life story of Michael Oher, who went through many hardships and obstacles in life to go to college and eventually become a pro football player. The movie starts out as a 17 year Michael Oher is befriended by the Tuohy family who give him a place to stay. They soon develop a bond with each other and he is then adopted by them. Leigh Ann and Sean Tuohy are able to help him get better grades and on the school football team. His performance due to his size starts to draw the attention of the top colleges in the country and he chooses to go to Ole Miss, the Tuohy's alma mater. The film earned Sandra Bullock a Best Actress Award and co-stars Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy and Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher.

1.) Rudy (1993)- I really love this movie. It tells the account of the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger who always dreamed of one day playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team. After his friend is killed, Rudy decides he must follow his dream. He does'nt make it in Notre Dame so he begins studies at a small junior college in hopes of earning high enough grades to become eligible to transfer to Notre Dame. He is eventually accepted in his final semester of eligibility and soon makes the football team's practice squad as a walk-on. His hard work during practice will eventually earn him the respect of the team and staff and in the final game of his senior year he is given the opportunity to dress for the game and be on the side-line. After chanting Rudy! Rudy! by the entire stadium, he is let in the game on the last play and ends up sacking the quarterback and being carried off the field on his teammates shoulders. Sean Astin stars as Rudy and co-stars Ned Beatty and Jon Favreau.

So there you have it football fans, ten of the best movies about football that I personally recommend. If you don't have these in your collection then you are missing out on some great entertainment. So next time you are in a video store, be sure to pick up a copy of one of these movies and build your collection.

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Killer Elite Review

Sir Ranulph Fiennes was a member of the British Army for eight years. During that time, he served in the Royal Scots Greys and the Special Air Service (SAS) as well. In 1991, he wrote a novel about the men that he claimed saved his life called "The Feather Men". The film "Killer Elite" is loosely based on that controversial novel that some people feel is made up of complete fiction.

"Killer Elite" is a film that is supposed to be based on actual events. It stars Jason Statham as Danny Bryce. Bryce is a retired special ops agent who is forced back into action after his mentor Hunter (Robert De Niro) is taken captive by an Arab sheikh. In order for Hunter to be set free, Bryce must kill three men who are accused of killing three of the sheikh's four sons. Bryce gathers a team to help him on this mission and is soon tracked by Spike Logan (Clive Owen) and a secret group that he's associated with.

I don't know how much of this story was actually true, but I did like this movie. It's a rugged film with a variety of action that is just fun to watch. Although it will be recognized by its action and violence, the movie itself had an entertaining storyline that's filled with interesting characters and international espionage. Out of all of the action in the film, I probably liked the shootouts and chase sequences the most. The hand to hand combat scenes were okay, but they seemed a bit too unrealistic at times and they took a little longer than expected. I have to say that one of my favorite fight scenes is where old man Robert De Niro is using martial arts to kick ass. I don't think I've seen him do that before, but it was cool. The action as a whole was intense and it easily keeps your attention throughout the film's duration.

I also liked how interesting and diverse the characters were. They helped to add the life and personality that the film needed even if they were lacking in normal human emotion. Most of the characters in this movie can't really be seen as good guys or bad guys per se. By force or by choice, the men in "Killer Elite" are simply doing their jobs for the most part. How they do them can be questioned, but there's purposely never really any attempt to create a definitive view on who's good or who's bad.

Some of the stuff in the movie is clearly fiction, but I obviously can't say if it's closer to fact or fantasy. Either way, I will say that it's a fast paced movie that had a lot going on, but was easy to keep up with. If you want action, this may be a movie you might want to give a look.

Score: 7/10

Rating: R

Director: Gary McKendry

Cast:
Jason Statham
Clive Owen
Robert De Niro
Yvonne Strahovski
Dominic Purcell
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Film Length: 100 minutes

Release Date: September 23, 2011

Distributor: Open Road Films

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The Negotiator Review

Samuel L. Jackson has been on the movie scene for about 4 decades. Whether large or small, he's taken all types of roles and has certainly paid his dues in Hollywood. Back in the 80′s and early 90′s, he appeared in several small roles in films like Coming to America, Jungle Fever, Jurassic Park and Goodfellas. In 1994, Jackson got what may have been his biggest break when he played the memorable Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction. After Pulp Fiction, Jackson's attempts at portraying lead characters didn't usually go to well, but he did find consistent success in supporting roles. At the time I was wondering when he'd be able to find a lead role in a good movie. He did just that in the The Negotiator.

In The Negotiator, Danny Roman (Samuel L. Jackson) is a hostage negotiator for the Chicago police department. He is considered to be the best in his field and is coming off of a completed job that gets him media recognition that earns his positive feedback. After returning to work, Roman finds out about the possibility of embezzlement going on at the police department and that one of his colleagues connected to the case is dead. To make matters worse, Roman himself is now viewed as the prime suspect in the murder and embezzlement case.

Appearing to be out of options and facing serious charges, Roman decides to go the Internal Affairs and takes several hostages in an attempt to find the truth. His list of demands include finding the informant linked to the case and bringing in top negotiator Chris Sabian (Kevin Spacey). He chooses Sabian although he doesn't really know him, because of the fact that he's from another precinct and is not connected to anything that may be going on. Roman understands that this is the best way to prove is innocence.

One of the first things that comes to mind when I think about this movie is the acting. Jackson and Spacey both put on top-notch performances that deserve to be acknowledged as they lead a strong cast. These two are professionals and handled their jobs as you would expect them to. With Roman and Sabian there is a cat and mouse game that goes on between the two that captures the qualities and abilities of both the actors and their characters.

When you think about movies like this, they have to be difficult to put together. They are set in one place and don't allow for much movement. In The Negotiator, director F. Gary Gray is able to make this film and formula interesting and suspenseful. The focus of the film is placed right on the two negotiators as they butt heads and their relentless battles against outside forces that don't want this case settled properly. It's difficult for Sabian as he is trying his best to make sure this goes as peaceful as possible, while Roman uses his knowledge and experience to do everything he can to hold off the attempts to take him down. These situations that are shown create the everything needed and allows for a fairly long movie to go by really fast.

This film is just about everything you might expect from a suspense thriller. You'll know right from the beginning if Roman is innocent or not, but the true quality that pulls you in belongs to the characters, the action and the conspiracies around them that will become more prominent as the film reaches its end.

Score: 7/10

Rating: R

Director: F. Gary Gray

Cast:
Samuel L. Jackson
Kevin Spacey
David Morse
John Spencer
J.T. Walsh
Ron Rifkin
Paul Giamatti

Film Length: 141 minutes

Release Date: July 29, 1998

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

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The Firm (1993) Review

There are a lot of lawyers and aspiring lawyers that are doing their best to be at the top of their chosen field. In The Firm, Mitch McDeere (Tom Cruise) is one of those people. Right as he's finishing up law school, he becomes a hot commodity for law firms wanting to attract the best young talents out there. He gets the usual offers from the firms in the big cities around the country, but he also gets one from a firm in Memphis, Tennessee. He decides to take the Memphis job after they stunningly offer him more money than anyone else does. He goes on about his business and never questions how such a small firm can pay him like this.

After he and his wife Abby (Jeanne Tripplehorn) get comfortable in their new home that's been furnished by his new employer, he sets off on his first day of work and meets Avery Tolar (Gene Hackman), a lawyer at the firm who takes Mitch under his wing. They get along well and things couldn't be going better for Mitch, but his wife doesn't feel so good about the situation. It's when you add accidental deaths and a couple of FBI agents snooping around that Mitch finally starts to get suspicious himself. It's not long before he realizes that he not only have to worry about a new job, but he may also have to worry about his life.

The plot in The Firm becomes very clear early on and it doesn't usually go off track. After a while, you're only left wondering who is behind everything that's going on. It plays off like a drama at first and begins to pick up once the questions start forming for McDeere. Once you find out who's involved, the intrigue swiftly shifts to how he's going to escape this nightmare that he's trapped in. Throughout the movie, you'll see these kinds of seamless transitions in other areas and they'll be clearly explained if you pay attention.

Despite the plot being spelled out like this, the movie maintains its strength primarily because of its actors. This is particularly true for Tom Cruise and Ed Harris. These two embodied their roles the most and were very believable as they put on quality performances like the rest of the cast. Outside of Cruise, everyone else seems to only have bit parts in a way. It would have been nice to see them use some of the actors (especially Harris) a little more for the simple fact that some of the people they portrayed were really interesting and added to the movie.

When you're talking about The Firm, nothing in the story really jumps out at you, but it has enough twists and turns to keep you interested in the suspense that it wants to deliver. It's a smooth ride that features very few rough edges and that has to be credited to the director. The Firm is a good thriller all the way around that features drama, suspense and quality acting. It's definitely a movie that's worth taking a look at.

Score: 3.5/5

Rating: R

Director: Sydney Pollack

Cast:
Tom Cruise
Jeanne Tripplehorn
Gene Hackman
Ed Harris
Holly Hunter
Hal Holbrook
Terry Kinney
David Strathaim
Gary Busey

Film Length: 154 minutes

Release Date: June 30, 1993

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

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Review: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Losing someone is painful and heart wrenching. As humans we will go through a lot of different emotions during our time of grievance and the reaction overall will be different based on the individual. During this time, some people save things that remind them of the ones that they lost. I guess you might want to keep some kind of connection to the person who is no longer here. In the film Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) feels the same way.

After his father passes away in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Oskar goes into withdrawal. He already has a ton of phobias that wouldn't allow him to do much, but this tragic loss made everything worse. He becomes more isolated and frustrated and feels that he has no one to talk to. A year after the incident he finds a key that he believes his father (Tom Hanks) wanted him to find. Figuring that the key is supposed to be used to find something his father left for him, he decides to go around all five boroughs of New York to solve this mystery. While searching the city, he meets all kinds of people, learning about them and himself in the process.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is the definition of a heartfelt drama. They do their best to get the audience to feel and understand what each person in the film is going through. If you've lost a parent or someone who you emotionally relied upon (especially if you were a child when it happened), you will have no issues being able to understand what's going on with this kid and the people surrounding him. This movie was more than about loss. It's also about overcoming fears, self discovery, rebuilding relationships and forgiveness.

Director Stephen Daldry and the actors do an intelligent job of humanizing the characters using tragic events in their personal lives. We see this through their interactions with one another and also during the times when they're alone. Oskar deals with the loss of his father in multiple ways. He has a very strained, spiteful and detached relationship with his mother (Sandra Bullock). He takes a lot of his frustrations out on her and even himself at times. Through Thomas Horn's portrayal of his character, we see the anger and frustration when one might feel like they're all alone with no answers and no one to guide them.

Along with a strong but slightly overacted performance of Horn, Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock should also be commended for their performances. Hanks plays the loveable dad well and he gives a glimpse into why he's been a highly regarded actor for all these years. For Bullock, she uses a subdued and subtle approach when portraying the role of a damaged and broken widowed mother. She's able to make you see the pain and anguish in her character just by looking at her face. I really liked her facial expressions as they were used to tell a story by themselves in so many of her scenes.

I didn't lose anyone in the 9/11 attacks or anything, but I could relate to some of what was going on in this film, because my father passed away when I was about the same age as this kid in the film. I can definitely understand the emotions and feelings that they were trying to illustrate. This is a film that hits emotionally hard. It's not really an "inspirational film" in my opinion and I don't think it's supposed to be. It's a film about humans behaving like humans and reacting the way several of us would or have in these difficult circumstances. It also wants us to see how we can heal our wounds and improve ourselves over time.

I wouldn't be surprised if this film is nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award; it appears to have all the hallmarks that Academy voters would seem to want. Personally, I view it as a great movie driven by its emotions, and great acting from basically everyone involved. Anyway you look at it, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a movie that deserves recognition.

Score: 3.5/5

Rating: PG-13

Director: Stephen Daldry

Cast:
Thomas Horn
Tom Hanks
Sandra Bullock
Max Von Sydow
John Goodman
Viola Davis
Jeffrey Wright
Zoe Caldwell

Film Length: 129 minutes

Release Dates:

December 25, 2011 (Limited Release)

January 20, 2012 (Everywhere)

Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures

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Review: War Horse

Stories in war movies are usually about the triumphs or tragedies that come from it and almost always contain violence. Whether they are based on fact or are simply a work of fiction, they're also usually seen through the eyes of the soldiers that are on the battlefield. Steven Spielberg's War Horse focuses on those tragedies and triumphs, but it is actually shown through the travels of a horse involved.

Set during the First World War, War Horse tells the story of a young man named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his horse named Joey. Albert has tamed and trained Joey over time and the two form a long-lasting bond with one another. After their long-standing friendship, the two are wedged apart when Joey is taken from Albert and is forced into the war. Joey goes off on a tour around Europe during the war and encounters several people of different nationalities. During this time, he affects their lives and we witness the true meaning of friendship, courage and humanity.

War Horse wants to be emotional and it is every now and then. However, the attempts at drawing out emotion hit a wall on a few occasions and appear overblown. I'm not an animal guy, but I find it hard to believe that a horse would evoke this much emotion from people who haven't been around it for very long. Even Albert's love for the horse seems unnatural and exaggerated. I can understand the little girl in the movie and her affections toward Joey, because she's a kid and you can easily say that she's probably always wanted a horse. When it comes to these grown men in the middle of a war, I just don't understand it. Those relationships usually seem implausible and cheesy.

Most of the film's real emotion comes from its human characters anyway and their dealings with each other. The actors who played these parts really did an exceptional job of pouring on the direct amount of emotion and personality that was needed. I got a sense that these were real people with human traits as they went on with their lives right in the middle of the largest war that they had ever seen.

I think the story and the actors were greatly helped out by the score of War Horse. It was forceful, loud and dramatic throughout. It even added some punch inside of the stale and corny parts of the film. This could be the best score out of all the ones that I've heard in 2011. It really captured the personality of battle, but still remained light enough to keep everything positive and upbeat.

The battle scenes were fantastic in my opinion. Remembering that this film is PG-13, they didn't have any blood or gore in the battles, but Spielberg did it in an artistic way that still showcases the emotions and brutality of war. It was cool to be able to only hear the bullets and explosions going on around the soldiers and yet still be able to feel the impact they brought. That and being able to see the fear and anxiousness in the eyes of some of the men helped to drive home the dramatics and help tell the story.

What might have been my favorite part in War Horse was the scene at No Man's Land. It's a scene in the middle of the war that doesn't contain any fighting and stands out to me due to its look at who we are as humans. I don't think there is any part in War Horse that signifies so much while doing so little. To me, it was the signature moment in a good film and it easily stands out more than anything else does.

With good directing, acting and music, War Horse is a film that a lot of people can get behind. I thought this movie was very artistic and dramatic. The only real problem that presented itself was the overly emotional relationships that some of the humans had with a horse most of them barely knew. Other than that, it was solid and I had no real complaints.

Score: 3/5

Rating: PG-13

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast:
Jeremy Irvine
Emily Watson
Peter Mullan
David Thewlis
Tom Hiddleston
Niels Arestrup
Celine Buckens
David Kross
Leonard Carow

Film Length: 146 minutes

Release Date: December 25, 2011

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

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Review: The Raid: Redemption

Movies that are one-dimensional and focus entirely on one thing can be dangerous to make. In order for it to work, that one aspect has to be brilliant and feature a certain level of quality that can carry the film all the way to the finish line. It will also need a director who knows what he's doing with the material that's being put on-screen. If these important elements are not properly fulfilled, it could turn into a complete and utter catastrophe. Which brings me to the film entitled The Raid: Redemption.

In The Raid: Redemption, an elite special forces unit is on a mission to bring down a brutal crime lord who's taken residence in what appears to be a near impenetrable apartment building. The unit originally attempts to sneak into the building, but have their cover blown and are forced to fight their way through. Things get even worse for the crew once the boss Tama (Ray Sahetaphy) has the building locked down so they can't escape. Rama (Iko Uwais), Jaka (Joe Taslim) and the rest of their team must navigate through dangerous terrain as they fight to catch the crime lord and hope to make it out alive.

There was a problem that I had while trying to go into detail reviewing this movie. There's just simply not much to talk about. The Raid: Redemption is an action movie if I've ever seen one. The actual story is virtually invisible for maybe 90% of the film. From the outset, all we know is that there's a raid of an apartment complex that could basically be considered the fortress of a very dangerous gang and their boss.

Once we get past an intimate moment between a man, his wife and their unborn child, it's all shoot-outs and hand to hand combat thrown in our faces. I'm not complaining, because all of it is definitely worth watching in my opinion. There's an abundance of blood and brutality to be seen during this time and it's intensified and exaggerated so the audience can feel it.

With all of the violence, blood and aggression, the creators behind The Raid: Redemption made sure that this R rated film earned its rating. It's gritty and as hardcore as just about any action film that you're going to see. The bad guys are bad and don't really show sympathy or anything resembling a conscious as they continuously assault the officers storming the building. The police members that are directly involved in the raid are in for a battle to the death against these thugs and need to match the ruthlessness that they have coming in their direction.

That onslaught of violent and forceful energy that we see here flows through the entire movie with only an extremely small amount of downtime. I was thinking that there might come a time when it would slow down, but it never truly gets to that point. Just when I was thinking it would calm down for at least a little while, it was right back to war in the blink of an eye. The intensity and never-ending action may be a bit much for some, but I don't think most will take issue with it.

My only real complaints about this movie rest within a couple of fight scenes. These particular scenes seem to drag on a bit longer than they should have. When one of those two scenes in particular was over, I was actually glad that it ended. It wasn't bad and that particular scene ended really well, but it just went on a little longer than it needed to. Other than that, I didn't have an issue with anything else.

As I stated earlier, there isn't much going on outside of the shoot outs and fist fights. I don't have anything negative to say about that, because all of the stuff s top-notch and didn't miss a beat. I truly respect what everyone involved was able to do with this film. It had to take an enormous amount of time and effort to put together so many wonderfully choreographed action scenes.

Building interesting characters in a film without much of a story may be an even bigger accomplishment and director Gareth Evans, along with the rest of the team manage to do that as well. Because of all of the strong aspects of The Raid: Redemption, it may be hard to dislike it if you love action films. If you want to catch an all out action movie, this may be the one for you to watch.

Score: 4/5

Rating: R

Director: Gareth Evans

Cast:
Iko Uwais
Joe Taslim
Doni Alamsyah
Ananda George
Pierre Gruno
Ray Sahetapy
Yayan Ruhian

Film Length:101 minutes

Release Date: March 23, 2012 (Limited)

Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics

Countries:
Indonesia
United States

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Review: Contraband

Most people have love for their friends and family. That love and loyalty towards them can be tested from time to time when some of them make things difficult by putting themselves in terrible predicaments. Because of this, you might feel the need to step in when their own ineptitude causes these problems, even if you know it's not a good idea. That's basically the situation Mark Wahlberg's character is faced with in his new film Contraband.

A criminal in his former life, Chris Farraday (Mark Wahlberg) is living a quiet and normal life with his wife Kate (Kate Beckinsale) and their two kids. His new life gets thrown into a tailspin when his brother-in-law Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) has a drug deal go wrong. Andy owes a no-nonsense drug dealer Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) the money and in order to save him, Chris is forced back into his old way of life one more time. Needing help, Chris recruits his friend Sabastian (Ben Foster) and they devise a plan that will get them back into the game as they try to steer Chris and his family away from danger.

In a way, Contraband wasn't your typical action movie. Although it had a good amount of action, it didn't have as much as I thought it would and it came at you in a few ways that I didn't expect. The action was fast and aggressive when it did hit the screen, but Contraband relied on more than that. This movie had a lot of twists and turns in its storyline that held your attention. Almost all of these twists were significant to the movie, added suspense and consistently sent the film in different directions.

Besides the action and the plot twists, the acting was one of the most significant aspects of Contraband. Pretty much all of the actors were great and they brought personality and emotion to their roles. I liked the way they used Mark Wahlberg's character here. He was the dude always caught in the middle when everything broke loose, even though he was almost never the initiator in the violence. It put a nice spin on the film, because he was one of the few guys who wanted to stay clean, but he still usually found himself in these sticky situations that weren't his fault.

As much as I liked Wahlberg's character, Giovanni Ribisi and Ben Foster were the one's who stole the show. Ribisi played one of the coolest dingy and greasy looking bad guys that I've seen recently. This performance just reminded me why I've always viewed him as a very talented and underrated actor. I had no idea that he would be that good and he'd be that fun to watch in this role. Although he was in the movie quite a bit, I still wish he was given more to do.

Ben Foster on the other hand, played a very straight-laced character that really stood out to me as well. I haven't seen much of his work, but he has put on good performances when I have and this one was no exception. He was the second best actor in the film behind Ribisi, but everyone was good.

There was one part of this movie that I didn't like that concerned one of the main characters. It was a part of the plot that was simply used to add more drama and suspense. It was completely unexpected and the outcome made it worthless, because it didn't serve much of a purpose in the grand scheme of things. That was the only glaring issue that I had and they should have went all the way through with it or they should have just left it out all together. With that being said, it didn't stop the movie from being enjoyable though.

Contraband is a movie that wanted to entertain the fans. The writing wasn't great and the film was nowhere near complicated, but it was just an overall fun movie to watch. The actors as a whole put on performances of good quality with Ribisi leading the way and these guys really set the tone for the overall film. I certainly liked watching it and anyone that is strictly looking for fun, action and suspense probably won't be disappointed with Contraband.

Score: 3.5/5

Rating: R

Director: Baltasar Kormákur

Cast:
Mark Wahlberg
Kate Beckinsale
Ben Foster
Giovanni Ribisi
Lukas Haas
Caleb Landry Jones
J.K. Simmons
Diego Luna

Film Length: 110 minutes

Release Date: January 13, 2012

Distributor: Universal Pictures

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Review: The Adventures Of Tintin

I haven't watched an animated movie in a very long time. The last one I saw was probably the original Toy Story movie. Since I'm an adult now, I don't have any real interest in watching these things. With that being said, I did decide to review The Adventures of Tintin. It's not because I wanted to see it or anything. It didn't interest me when I saw the trailer. No way, I wanted to do a review for the kids......I swear.

Tintin (Jamie Bell) is a young reporter who loves to find great stories. One day, he unwittingly becomes a part of a story that may put him in grave danger when he goes shopping at an outdoor market. While he is wandering around this market, he buys a model of an old ship called The Unicorn. Immediately, an American named Barnaby (Joe Starr) comes and offers to buy the ship from him, but Tintin refuses and says it's not for sale. Soon after that conversation, another man named Sakharine (Daniel Craig) also asks him the same and tells him to name his price. Tintin still refuses and leaves wondering what could be the reason for the offers.

When Tintin gets home and snoops around, he learns that the ship may have something of value hidden inside of it and it may lead to something with even more value. Before he can find out what it is, someone comes knocking at his door. Next thing he knows, he's being kidnapped. He soon finds a way to escape and meets Haddock (Andy Serkis), a drunk who may hold the key to the answers that everyone is looking for.

In The Adventures of Tintin, the 3D was completely useless and added nothing to the film or its entertainment value. With that being said, this movie was visually beautiful based solely on the amazing animation that was utilized. The motion capture techniques that were used in the film made it look more realistic as far as body movement was concerned. The movements from the actors were fluid and it really mixed in with the animation quite well. You couldn't ask for more than that in Steven Spielberg's first entry in the animated film genre.

There were also a lot of attempts at comedy in The Adventures of Tintin, but they weren't very funny with most of what they tried. Kids might find something to laugh at more than I would and that's understandable since it's a film that is clearly geared towards them. One of the positive parts of the movie for me came from the action. They put a lot of effort into making this film an adventure and succeeded in doing so. This was basically an animated version of Indiana Jones and it had all of the ingredients that you would expect from such a story.

This is a rollercoaster ride that goes through the streets of England, across the Atlantic Ocean and into the Sahara desert. Spielberg is able to deliver a true sense of adventure as Tintin is avoiding bad guys, getting into fights, shootouts and chases on foot, wheels, sea and air. Once everything gets going, it doesn't stop until the very end. There isn't much down time in between action sequences and that may be exhausting for some. For myself, maybe one or two fight scenes went a little too long, but everything else was spot on and impressive.

The Adventures of Tintin rests on what I expected it to. There's a lot of excitement and action in this high energy film. It also has some fun and vibrant characters with great voice acting behind them. All they really needed to do was improve the comedy and this film would have been even better. I would seriously love it if Spielberg and his gang decided to make sequel to The Adventures of Tintin... For the kids of course.

Score: 3.5/5

Rating: PG

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast:
Jamie Bell
Andy Serkis
Daniel Craig
Nick Frost
Simon Pegg
Toby Jones
Joe Starr

Film Length: 104 minutes

Release Date: December 21, 2011

Distributor: Paramount Pictures

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Review: The Bourne Legacy

I was disappointed when the expected news of Matt Damon not returning to the Jason Bourne film franchise was confirmed. I know that it had to happen sooner or later, but it was still crappy news once it came down. Since then, I've come to terms with my disappointment and I've accepted the fact that Damon wasn't returning to do The Bourne Legacy. Now I'm ready to move on from the team of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass and I'm ready to accept the new team of Jeremy Renner and Tony Gilroy. Those two guys have talent and I'm sure that they can make a Bourne movie just as well as those other guys right?

Even though Jason Bourne is missing in action, the legacy of Jason Bourne continues to carry on. That doesn't sit well with former Col. Eric Byer (Edward Norton). He wants to get rid of any and everything associated with Bourne and Treadstone. Byer decides that his best option is to wipe out what he calls "the disease" before it spreads into other areas of the government. In order to complete his objective, he believes that he's going to have to knock off anyone associated with the program and that includes assassinating field agents like Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner).

Cross catches on to this and goes on the run to escape the danger that awaits him. Along the way, he meets up with Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a scientist in the program who also has a price on her head. Agent Cross and Dr. Shearing are now on the run and must travel the globe to save their lives and get some answers. But they have to move with extreme caution, because If they fail, they'll meet the same ending of the many who have crossed path with the unseen forces that are hunting them down.

The Bourne Legacy is a continuation of the story that we saw in The Bourne Ultimatum. While it does continue parts of the actual story from that film to an extent, it branches out into the other parts that coincide with the time span from that previous film. This movie opens up with Aaron Cross training in the freezing cold weather of Alaska's wilderness. This is also the place where the likes of Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) had also trained over the years for this same program.

Once Cross' existence in the world is established, the movie goes on and attempts to reconnect the dots while adding some new ones during the process. The audience learns about what's going on now with the likes of Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), Noah Vosen (David Strathaim) and a few others who were left behind to clean up the mess in The Bourne Ultimatum, but we're also introduced to some other government agents who want this mess cleaned up in their own way. This group of agents are led by Eric Byer and they don't agree with finishing the job in the courts and unlike some of their predecessors who took this on, they have a much more detailed understanding of what's actually taking place.

The creators of this film wanted to make the main antagonist feel superior to the one's that were in previous Bourne films. They wanted to do it, but that's not what happens. I had a difficult time taking Edward Norton seriously in this role. He looks like a nice guy and he doesn't have any sort of base in his voice. When Ted Conklin (Chris Cooper), Pamela Landy and Noah Vosen were chasing Bourne in the three previous Bourne films, I could fully believe their characters. They were stern, strong, in control and forceful when need be. Norton tried to do that, but he just didn't fit the role and I don't think anyone could convince me otherwise.

He's not the only problem when I'm talking about the acting. Norton is an accomplished actor and I would never question his ability. I'd say the same about Renner and Weisz. That's why it's weird for me to criticize them in a sense, but I have to be honest and admit that they didn't bring any powerhouse performances to the table and they are clearly lacking in chemistry. Renner and Weisz had decent acting performances, but I expected more than just decent. The love story (if you want to call it that) came off as inauthentic, because of this and these two having no chemistry between them.

I don't think that Renner or Weisz were made for their roles anyway. While being a good actor with range, Renner didn't have the style or charisma that I feel is important for roles like this. He certainly couldn't match Damon's portrayal as Bourne in any of those categories and that's certainly noticeable. He should be portraying characters like the one's we've seen in movies like The Town and maybe 28 Weeks Later. He's not built for roles that ask him to be a violent and deadly super spy.

As far as Weisz is concerned, I view her as not being properly cast as well. Unlike Renner, who I believe has a role that might have been too expansive for him, I think Weisz has a role that was too restricting for her. While Renner's role should have gone to an established actor, the role that Weisz has should have went to a lesser known and slightly younger actress who could have brought some kind of freshness to a film. I actually believe that The Bourne Legacy holds her back somewhat and she's not able to show off what she can do when it comes to acting.

Being is miscast is basically the same issue that Renner, Weisz and Norton face. That's one of the differences between this Bourne film and the others that came before it. Those films had actors that fit and with the exception of Damon, none of those other guys were well known names when compared to these guys. For example, Franka Potente had a role that fit some of the things that she's done before and she was a slightly new face that American audiences hadn't really seen much of yet. Similar things can be said of actors like Brian Cox and David Straithaim when they were cast.

The average to decent acting from the miscast actors hurts the movie in a multitude of ways. The largest and most obvious way it hurts it is because there's not that much action to speak of in The Bourne Legacy. You heard me right, there isn't much action to speak of. There's very little fighting and shooting and whether it's on vehicles or on foot, there's very little chasing. I couldn't believe the lack of activity being displayed right in front of my eyes.

Apparently, someone decided that it was best to primarily rely on talking, a few flashbacks and attempts at drama instead of intelligently done high octane action for some reason. I don't mind those things coming into play, but people come to Bourne movies to see bad guys getting beat up and the lead protagonist using intelligence and intuition to find his way out of dire circumstances when there are a countless number of agents and cops who are hot on his trail. We do get a small amount of that, but it's just nowhere near enough and it's only ever decent at best. How can you even think about putting out a movie in the Bourne franchise with action done in this style?

You might think that you'd be in for a smart movie with more substance due to the fact that there's more talking and drama to go with less action, but The Bourne Legacy is less brainy and less dramatic than you might think it should be. The previous versions of Bourne are intelligent in the way they handle everything. Directors Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass were able to tell an attention grabbing story with a lead character that didn't do much talking and really didn't show any emotion or personality. It shows off the attention to detail that's important in film and this latest movie missed a bunch of that.

If I don't compare The Bourne Legacy to the other films in the Bourne franchise and I allow it to stand on its own, I'd say that this movie is an average film at best with some solid acting and a few action scenes that are decent at certain points. On the other hand, if I compare to the three films that preceded it, I would say that it looks much worse and that it's not comparable at all. That's tough for me to say, because I love all of the Bourne stuff and I honestly wanted this to succeed with or without Matt Damon. Instead, we get a watered down action movie that needed more action and a much better script.

I was originally hoping that the creators of this movie wouldn't copy Bourne trilogy completely. I came out of it wishing they would have stole from it more than they did. Trying to link Matt Damon's Jason Bourne to the film by showing a picture of his face every now and then or showing his name in certain places isn't going to build the continuity that the creators are looking for. A smart action movie with style and substance would have built that continuity and I would have been amped to sit through the two plus hours again just to see it on more than one occasion.

The Bourne Legacy reminds of the time when someone thought it was smart to make a Halloween movie without Michael Myers in it. It was a terrible idea and the universal boos are still being heard to this day. The Bourne Legacy might not be as bad as Halloween 3 was, but it certainly doesn't live up to the three previous Bourne movies with Jason Bourne as the lead protagonist. The Bourne Legacy never even felt like a Bourne movie and it never really looked like one either. They only shared the names and that's about it.

Bourne's legacy is not helped by The Bourne Legacy. There's a lot to live up to with this franchises' first three films being so well received and that should be enough pressure for people to want to succeed. There was simply no reason to fail this bad unless they didn't know what they were doing and I find that to be unlikely. Hopefully the next one sees the return of Jason Bourne as we dive further into the stories that are ahead of him. If that doesn't happen, I'll pray and hope that they put forth a better movie from top to bottom than this one.

Score: 2/5

Rating: PG-13

Director: Tony Gilroy

Cast:
Jeremy Renner
Rachel Weisz
Edward Norton
Stacy Keach
Scott Glenn
Oscar Isaac
Joan Allen
David Strathairn
Corey Johnson
Louis Ozawa Changchien

Film Length: 125 minutes

Release Date: August 10, 2012

Distributor: Universal Pictures

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